Report
19th Anniversary Afternoon of Music
with Kevin Friedrich & Friends

November 30 and December 1st saw the Dargaville Museum become the epicenter of accordion activities as dignitaries, performing artists and guests assembled from as far afield as Italy, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, the USA and across New Zealand.

Hosted by Music Wing curator Kevin Friedrich, special guests attending and speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the updated and expanded Music Wing were Grant McCallum (Member of Parliament, Northland, National Party), Craig Jepson (Mayor of Kaipara District), Mirco Patarini from Italy (President of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes, Member of the International Music Council, an Official NGO partner of UNESCO), Professor Li Cong from China (President - Accordion Association of Chinese Musicians Association and Vice President - Confédération internationale des Accordéonistes), Cong Yu (Crystal) Wang from China (Director - Accordion Professional Comm., Shanghai Musicians Assoc., Dean – Dept. of Western Music at Shanghai Normal University), Marcel Riethmann (Chairman of the Accordion Examination Board of New Zealand), Sonja Palinich (President of the New Zealand Accordion Association), Ross Newlove (President of the Dargaville Museum). Speeches were alternated with a spectacular variety of musical items. After the ribbon cutting attendees were piped up to the Music Wing for the official blessing given by Rex Nathan followed by a champagne reception and music wing tour.

The day capped off with a fundraising dinner at the Northern Wairoa Hotel where guests dined to a variety of entertainment including some dance sets after the dinner. The dinner held in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Aratapu Library (1874), the funds raised were directed to the new LED lighting in the display cabinets.

Sunday saw the 19th Museum fundraiser ‘An Afternoon of Music with Kevin Friedrich and Friends. The popular sold out concert featured guests from overseas as well as local stars including a set by world champion accordionist Grayson Masefield and violinist Andrew Beer (concert master of the Auckland Philharmonia), the 50 strong Kapa Haka Roopu from the Dargaville Primary School, a 22 piece North Shore Accordion Orchestra from Auckland conducted by renowned New Zealand composer Gary Daverne, a Dargaville favorite Lionel Reekie and an array of other talented local and invited guest artists.

In the Accordion Gems exhibition, to compliment the symbolic All Blacks Silver Fern logo found in the accordion bellows of world champion accordionist Grayson Masefield, Jose Vuletich kindly donated an All Blacks Jersey signed by legendary player Jonah Lomu on one of his visits to Dargaville. These items are displayed alongside numerous and very rare compositions written for the men in Black.

For Kevin’s concert he asked the Daragaville Primary School Kapa Haka Roopu to include Tutira Mai nga Iwi as one of their items, as it also served as a theme song for the All Blacks campaign.

When checking with Jose to see if she might let the lead of the Kapa Haka Roopu wear the jersey, she not only said yes, but she said she had more, so we were actually able to feature six students wearing the All Blacks collectors jerseys! Lomu was famed for his unprecedented speed, strength and agility. He became the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 at the age of 19. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of (2007) and IRB Hall of Fame (2011). His jersey proudly accompanies the All Blacks musical items found in the newly refreshed Music Wing.

We invite you to enjoy a a selection of pictures from the 19th Concert. Plans are already underway for next years 20th Anniversary concert which promises to be a showcase of locl and guest talent.